Tumeland
Tumeland is a region in the Kingdom of the Carmine Sea. Geography As in the neighbouring regions, the landscape is cold and stark, miles of ice and barren tundra interrupted only by the occasional dark, freezing lake or inland sea. The sky remains dark for half the year, and even in the height of summer there are still expanses of permafrost, especially in the south. The Black Fields are one of the few areas of fertile land, towards the north of the region, and it is here that the cultivation of childerberries is most widespread and advanced. The fields are so named for the dark colour of the childerberries, although from a distance the fields themselves appear green-brown. In the east of the region is the Surnua Sea, although in size really more of a large lake and completely landlocked. The sea is to all appearances completely lifeless and eerily still. Alone of all the lakes in that part of the region it never seems to freeze, although the ice extends to its very shoreline. According to legend, the sea will kill any who enter its waters or drink from it, and there are no stories of anyone having survived an attempt to defy it. Opinion is divided over whether this lethal property extends to sailing upon the lake, although the vast majority of the population would never consider it. Hurasham, the Golden Crag, is a rocky hill in the north of the region, although there is some debate over whether it is truly a mountain. By the standards of the great mountains further north it is relatively small, but the nature of the surrounding terrain makes it visible for many miles. Its height and latitude are such that it does not have a permanent snow cap, although it is always covered in snow during winter, but in summer its yellow stone is a familiar landmark. It is here that the city of Iskarana is built, both on top of and into the side of the hill. Government In principle, there has historically been no central government in the region: each of the several cities in the region is its own state with its own ruler. These rulers are generally each known as a Marsarim (or “prince” to foreigners) although the precise nature of government may vary, with some cities maintaining an hereditary succession, others an elective one, and in at least one case a governing council rather than a singular ruler. In practice, however, the government is entirely controlled by a single organisation. The Harragildi – which translates roughly to “Gentleman's Guild”, also colloquially known as the “Red Guild” - maintains an iron grip over the high politics of almost every city. The Guild maintains a chapter in each city, each of which retains a high degree of autonomy, though all ultimately report to the High Master in Sarraka. Even the strongest of the Marsari rarely dares oppose the will of the Guild, and in most cities the Marsarim is little more than a puppet. Following the region's accidental discovery by explorers from the Kingdom of the Carmine Sea in the late fifth century, emissaries were sent to several of the cities to establish contact with a view to further colonisation. The region became known as Tumeland for its long nights lasting nearly half the year. After a number of the Carmine diplomats did not return, apparently due to tragic accidents, unseasonal weather or navigation on a par with that which led to the region's discovery in the first place leading them to become lost and freeze or starve in the ice fields, the king determined to impress the locals with a greater display of strength. Further diplomats arrived accompanied by substantial armed escorts, and troops were deployed ostensibly to secure the borders against Pavonian or Kell incursion from north or south. An emergency meeting of the Harragildi was called to decide whether to oppose the Carmine military, and ultimately it seems they decided against it. One by one the Marsari were persuaded one way or another to swear fealty to the king, and eventually the High Mistress herself pledged allegiance to the crown. Opinion in the kingdom remains divided on whether this was a ploy. Opinion is further divided on whether, if it is a ploy, it is one in the interests of the kingdom or solely in that of the Guild. The High Mistress in 510 was Eären Salvane, notable for being the youngest on record. People The people of the region are elves, with the usual features common to their race: a slender build, pointed ears and delicate, pointed features. Most of the population are similar to the tribes immediately to the north, with people identifiable as Susi, Liusti and Zheisi present in each of the main settlements. The ruling class however is comprised of a different elven tribe, the Salaparani, distinctive by their thick white hair and their nocturnalism. Their origin is uncertain, but all agree they have arrived recently, most likely within the last two hundred years. Some of the older citizens claim to remember a time before the Salaparani, although on investigation their accounts have proven to be confused and contradictory. Few written records remain, and it is widely believed the Salaparani have destroyed any evidence relating to their origins. What is clear is that the Salaparani are believed to have a a degree of unnatural, or supernatural, power. Their affinity for the darkness seems to extend beyond preference and into actual control, over shadows if not true darkness. Even by elven standards they are quick of reflex, and it is these characteristics that allow them such facility as thieves and assassins. Almost all important positions in society are occupied by Salaparani, with only a few aristocrats from the Liusti remaining and generally being treated as second-class even in that respect. In particular, the Salaparani have an almost total grip on the Harragildi. Elves of other tribes are not prohibited from entry, but struggle to compete with the advantages possessed by the Salaparani and few meet the Guild's criteria for entry, let alone rise to high office within it. The divide between Salaparani and the other tribes (known as Vahemi by the Salaparani, though this is considered a borderline derogatory term and is not in use outside Salaparani circles) appears to run right the way through society. Each group tends to maintain its own dress, its own religion, and even to an extent its own language, although both are clearly closely related. Sumptuary laws are widespread, with Guild members being permitted better clothes than non-members, and aristocrats accorded similar privileges. Guild members are the only citizens permitted to wear red. Although the richest colours and finest fabrics are reserved for the Guild and the nobility, a further prestige attaches itself to warmth of clothing: the Salaparani and Liusti alike largely disdain the cold and tend towards lighter and looser clothes, while the Susi and Zheisi feel the need to wear additional layers and even furs during winter. This is a subject of derision by the Salaparani and even some particularly status-conscious Liusti. History Scholars from Jarrland and Trinacria are mostly in agreement (with a few violent dissenters) that Tumeland was once a part of the ancient elven civilisation in the south, if not Zhaira itself then of one of its successors. Unlike its northern neighbours it seems to have weathered the disasters that destroyed the rest of the kingdom at least to an extent, with some of the cities (most notably Ultuallar) believed to have survived almost in their entirety throughout the Long Winter. Unfortunately for those scholars, this continuity seems to extend mostly to the physical and not to the intellectual, with many records apparently destroyed or lost relatively recently and thus leaving a gap in the record which contact with Tumeland might otherwise have filled. From what scholars have been able to determine, the earlier settlers were of the same elven tribes as in neighbouring regions, with the Liusti unsurprisingly the most significant in number and most likely power, using their facility with ice to construct the great cities. At some point, however, most likely since 300, the appearance of a new tribe of elves, the Salaparani threw the existing situation into disarray. They quickly spread throughout the region, establishing chapters of the Harragildi in each of the cities and systematically using their supernatural powers to infiltrate and bring down each of the governments in turn, ultimately taking control of each city for themselves and establishing a Guild-run political order throughout the region. Precisely where or how the Salaparani originated is a mystery, and one on which they are not keen to elaborate. It is believed they are responsible for the loss of older records, as they destroyed or sequestered them following their rise to power. Opinions among the rest of the populace as to their origins vary, but two principal theories have emerged. One holds that the Salaparani were once of one of the formerly known tribes but were changed, whether through their own dark magic, or by outside influence under the strange eye of the pole, into something fundamentally different. The second holds that they are complete aliens, travellers from distant lands or even a distant world, with the more extreme theorists suggesting they are in fact not elves at all but spirits taking elven form. Settlements The region is dotted with cities, especially in the south where they are carved from the very ice. Aside from the population of a villages and towns in and around the Black Fields in the north, almost the entirety of the people live in these cities. They tend towards self-sufficiency, with carefully-tended gardens and vast caverns carved out beneath them where food is grown and livestock reared. To the visitor, however, they are more notable for their magnificent and elegant architecture. The cities include: Lagassa, the queen of cities, is the largest and grandest in the region, with its soaring towers reported to induce tears in any who lay eyes upon it for the first time. It is the leading cultural centre and the home of the largest chapter of the Harragildi. Sarraka is a relatively small city in the south-west but a disproportionately important one, for it is here that the High Master of the Harragildi makes his home. Some of the High Masters take the title of Marsarim openly, though all know that the Master truly runs the city whether he is the declared ruler or not. It is here that representatives from chapters of the Harragildi across the region meet and policy is determined, making Sarraka effectively the closest thing the region has to a political capital. Essera, set upon the shores of the Surnua Sea, is spoken of in hushed tones, if at all. The people here are fiercely isolationist and rarely leave their city, nor do they welcome visitors, and few have set foot inside its walls. It is also rumoured that Essera is the city where the Salaparani themselves originated, and to be a centre of sorcery, with some claiming the rulers there have made a pact with some dark spirit. Alone among the peoples of Tumeland, the Salaparani of Essera sail upon the waters of the Surnua, which lends weight to such stories. Abanya, the Jewel of the West, is a particularly beautiful city set in the mountains above the Sometime Sea. It is the port through which most of the trade from the west enters the region and is consequently the richest of the cities next to Lagassa. Some say it used to be even more attractive, prior to a war in which it was reduced as punishment for its pride and boastfulness. Ultuallar is believed to be the oldest city in the region, and though it is now less prestigious than once it was, it is still regarded with respect by those with any appreciation for history and their peoples' cultural heritage. It is said that its relatively remote position helped it survive the Long Winter when most of the other cities were destroyed, and thus became the centre of the civilisation in the years that followed. This same position however counted against it as the land became more pacified, and it was soon outstripped by its daughter cities in size and influence. Politics in the city is sharply divided between traditionalist and reformist factions, and internal squabbles between the two have stalled its development in recent years. As a result of the strong traditionalist movement it is the only major city to retain a Marsarim who is not of the Salaparani. Ersetellatara is the southernmost city in the region, in the remote ice fields of the glacier. Its proximity to the pole gives it a mystical reputation, with the influence of priests particularly strong here. The city is believed to be a gateway to the spirit world and a number of the more devout people of the region make pilgrimages to it, though few speak of what they find there, if anything. Iskarana is one of the northernmost cities, set on Hurasham, a rocky knoll amongst the Black Fields, and is the only major city to be built of stone rather than ice, since ice would likely melt during the summer months. Its location makes it a key trading point for lands to the north, but it is better known as the leading producer of wine, due to the extensive holdings among the surrounding Childerberry fields. Sallamar is situated towards the southern end of the Black Fields and, like Iskarana, has an economy built around the Childerberries. Unlike its northern neighbour, though, the Sallamari focus their attention on producing pigment from the berries and are renowned for the resulting dyes. Although Sallamar and Iskarana are often lumped together as the “berry cities” by outsiders, there is a purportedly fierce rivalry between the two, and wars have been fought in the past over control of some of the berry fields. Nevertheless some claim that the two actually work in concert to maintain a duopoly over the lucrative harvests, and that the conflict between them is staged to maintain the illusion of competition. Religion As with so many things in the region, religion is largely divided along tribal, and therefore class, lines. The Salaparani maintain their own, secretive spirits whose nature appears to be tied up in the Guild itself, and details are not revealed lightly to outsiders. Acceptance of these spirits is a prerequisite for entrance into the Guild and provides another barrier to entry for elves of lower station who are not familiar with them. What can be ascertained about the Salaparani spirits suggests that they are associated with darkness, knowledge and quickness of mind and body. The remainder of the elves generally tend towards animism. While sun worship is almost universal to an extent, each tribe retains a degree of its own religious tendencies, the Liusti recognising spirits of the ice and snow, while “our Precious Lady” is a common subject of worship among the Zheisi. References http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18924965&postcount=69 Category:Regions Category:Regions of Telluris